The strong viewership capped what analysts said was a solid run for the tournament's broadcasters, with Fox and Comcast paying roughly $485 million and $600 million, respectively, for rights packages that included the World Cup, according to media reports.

"The 23-year-old forward has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2033," the London club posted on their web site.

If a 48-team tournament is already stretching the finances of participating federations, a longer 64-team event could increase those costs further.

The success of the Spanish model has not been confined to the men’s game. The women’s side also clinched the coveted crown in 2023 and belong in the same conversation.

"I dreamed that we would win it again. I dreamed of bringing it to Argentina and making history once again," the Aston Villa goalkeeper wrote on social media post.

The president of the Spanish football league, Javier Tebas, accused FIFA of acting "irresponsibly" following the announcement of discussions regarding a possible 64-team World Cup in 2030, in an interview with an Italian sports daily published Tuesday.

Yet one truth becomes clearer with every passing season; there may never be another Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

When Luis de la Fuente was appointed Spain's head coach on December 8, 2022, four days after Luis Enrique stepped down following the World Cup round-of-16 penalty shootout defeat to Morocco, the decision puzzled many.

Enzo Fernandez insists Argentina represented themselves in the "best possible way" at the World Cup despite the Chelsea midfielder's red card in the final and a host of ugly incidents in their controversial campaign.

CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez has reiterated his support for expanding the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 teams, saying on social media that the centenary edition should feature a larger field.

Aleksander Ceferin, the head of UEFA, boycotted the World Cup final to show unhappiness with FIFA, British media reported Monday.

Argentina face a stark choice from here on: modernise their system to match the demands of the modern game, or wander straight back into the wilderness for another quarter-century of soul-searching.

Dhaka will host the 15th SAFF Championship from November 4 to 17, the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) confirmed in a press release on Sunday.

World soccer's governing body FIFA has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to investigate the post-match brawl that erupted after Spain's 1-0 extra-time victory over Argentina in a chaotic World Cup final.

Critics blasted Argentina for dirty tactics and poor sportsmanship during their 1-0 loss to Spain, cementing the country's status as World Cup villain that grew throughout the tournament.

At New York-New Jersey Stadium on Monday, several storylines came full circle in the World Cup final.

It was not the homecoming Argentines had hoped for, four years after millions celebrated their team's tournament victory in 2022, but fresh scenes of joyful chaos filled the street as they danced, sang and set off fireworks to thank the players.

"At the World Cup will be the best Rodri and next season will be the best Rodri." Those words from Pep Guardiola, spoken while Rodri was still recovering from the injury, sounded more like an act of faith than a prediction.

Lionel Messi said on Monday that after Argentina's World Cup final loss "the pain is immense and it's going to take a long time for this wound to heal."

New World Cup champions Spain began their celebration parade on an open-top bus through the streets of Madrid on Monday early evening, with a jubilant crowd of over a million people out to celebrate, local authorities told AFP.